18. Summary of the lesson, "Quality"

The lesson 'Quality' written by John Galsworthy is about the sad story of the Gessler brothers who invested their lives in the art of bootmaking. The Gessler brother did their work with high quality and dedication. They were German immigrants who set up their business in the fashionable bystreet of London. The author had known him since his childhood. He was a loyal customer of Gessler.

The name Gessler Brothers was all that was written on Gessler's signboard. There were only a few pairs of boots on display as he did not make any ready-to-wear boots. He designed what the consumers wanted, and they (boots) never failed to fit. Gessler's boots were of exceptional quality. Furthermore, the Gessler brothers were confident in their skills and did not advertise their product.

According to the author, Gessler was the best bootmaker in London. He was always amazed by Gessler's handiwork. And, because of their (product's) exceptional quality, Gessler's boots lasted for an extended period. As a result, the author did not have the opportunity to visit Gessler's shop often. Once, the author inquired about the difficulties of the bootmaker's task, to which he answered with a smile that, 'it was an art'.

Another time, the author went into Gessler's shop wearing the boots he had bought from a big firm. Gessler noticed the author's boots and informed him that those were not his boots. Also, he pointed to a spot on the left boot where the author felt uncomfortable. He then spoke about big firms and explained to the author how those large firms ruined small businesses like Gessler's. The narrator felt terrible and ordered a pair of boots.

 

After two years, when the author visited Gessler's shop, he learnt that Gessler's elder brother was dead. Again, he ordered many pair of boots and went abroad after that.

 

When the author returned to London, he went to Gessler's shop and was shocked to see him looking old and worn, as if he had grown fifteen years in just a year. The author felt sorry for Gessler and ordered a variety of boots for him. A week after receiving Gessler' orders, the author went to Gessler's shop to thank him for his excellent boot design.

 

However, an Englishman attended the author instead of Gessler and told him that Gessler died of slow starvation since he never had time to eat because of his hard work. He also mentioned how, despite being the best bootmaker and working until the last minute, Gessler could not keep up with his competition. The story ends with a depressing end.